Canes ready to storm the fortress
Now we see what these Hurricanes are really made of. Rolling a below-par Blues outfit at Sky Stadium is one thing; taking care of business against a dialled-in side that’s won seven on the bounce back at Fortress Eden Park is another altogether.
It really is a case of irresistible force meeting immovable object in Sandringham this afternoon when Super Rugby Pacific’s top team, the Hurricanes, come to the big city to take on their nearest pursuers, the Blues, in what should be close to the game of the season.
The form guide tells you there’s nothing in it. Both are 9-1, and in mostly dominant form, the Canes having accumulated one extra bonus point en route to their haul of 42 competition points. The men from Wellington have scored 360 points, and 53 tries, while conceding 195, and 26; the Blues have amassed 352 points, and crossed the line 52 times, while coughing up 147 points, and 19 tries. Both are very good at what they do.
Both are also down key men, with Cam Roigard (the season) and Asafo Auma marked absent for the visitors, and Vern Cotter’s home side missing internationals Rieko Ioane, Stephen Perofeta and Fin Christie.
If you were looking for a decider, it has to be the Eden Park factor. The All Blacks are nigh on unbeatable there, and the Blues are close to it, having lost precisely zero Super Rugby matches there since February 2020 to teams not named the Crusaders. Cotter’s men are riding a 10-game win streak on their home sward and have rolled the Canes three straight on the Garden.
Canes skipper Brad Shields had a quaint way of describing the intimidating environment they’re about to head into.
“It’s awesome. It’s a fortress,” he said. “It’s one of those stadiums you go to that’s got its ju-ju in it – not just the dew on the pitch. It’s cool to go up there and play. The Blues are really good at home.”
That said, the Canes have been really good, full stop, in 2024, with the exception of their misfire in Canberra when a team riding an eight-game win streak finally took their eye off the ball. Among that bevy of victories was a 29-21 triumph over the Blues in round 3.
Aside from their issues at hooker – they are down their three contracted No 2s – it is a well-balanced lineup, too. Their backline is firing as Ruben Love, Billy Proctor, Josh Moorby and Kini Naholo play their way into the national conversation, old hands Jordie Barrett and TJ Perenara do their thing and a vastly improved pack muscles up behind the standout play of props Tyrel Lomax and Xavier Numia and a loose trio as good as anything running around.
“Someone said 2019 was the last time we won up there,” said Canes coach Clark Laidlaw. “That would suggest it’s a hard place to go and win. You look forward to that. I like going to tough places, and testing ourselves. We failed against the Brumbies a couple of weeks ago, and it will be interesting to see if we’ve learned some lessons.’’